Nam June Paik (July 20, 1932 - January 29, 2006) was a Korean-born American artist. Born in Seoul during the Japanese
occupation and after a move to Japan where he studied the work of composer Arnold Schönberg, Paik came to Germany in
1956 to continue his studies in the history of music. His interests soon turned away from the university setting, to less
traditional forms of music leading him to The Westdeutsche Rundfunk’s Studio for Electronic Music, where Karlheinz
Stockhausen was working.

Nam June Paik then began participating in the Neo-Dada art movement, known as Flu ...read more

Nam June Paik (July 20, 1932 - January 29, 2006) was a Korean-born American artist. Born in Seoul during the Japanese
occupation and after a move to Japan where he studied the work of composer Arnold Schönberg, Paik came to Germany in
1956 to continue his studies in the history of music. His interests soon turned away from the university setting, to less
traditional forms of music leading him to The Westdeutsche Rundfunk’s Studio for Electronic Music, where Karlheinz
Stockhausen was working.

Nam June Paik then began participating in the Neo-Dada art movement, known as Fluxus, which was inspired by the
composer John Cage, and his use of everyday sounds and noises in his music. He made his big debut at an exhibition known
as Exposition of Music-Electronic Television, in which he scattered televisions everywhere, and used magnets to alter or
distort their images.

In 1964, Paik moved to New York, and began working with classical cellist Charlotte Moorman, to combine his video, music,
and performance. In the work TV Cello, the pair stacked televisions on top one another, so that they formed the shape of an
actual cello. When Moorman drew her bow across the “cello,” images of both her playing, and images of other cellists playing
appeared on the screens. In 1965, Sony introduced the Portapak. With this, Paik could both move and record things, for it
was the first portable video and audio recorder. From there, Paik became an international celebrity, known for his creative
and entertaining works. « hide